UN Committee Confronts Vatican on Child Sexual Abuse by Clergy

January 17, 2014

The Vatican itself came under scrutiny at a U.N. hearing in Geneva for its handling of clergy sex abuse cases. The U.N. panel questioned church officials about not requiring bishops to report suspected abuse to local authorities. Vatican representatives said the Vatican’s power to sanction priests is limited but admitted that more could be done to prevent crimes. Victims’ rights groups are watching closely to see what action the church will take, if any.